Sunday, August 5, 2018

Two wrong-way crashes took two lives in Jacksonville in just 24 hours. Distracted driving causing people to miss the signs or "out-of-towners" who get turned around to blame







First responder details second deadly wrong-way crash in Jacksonville in one day


Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Chief Robin Gainey was one of the first on the scene of the Hart Bridge crash. He says the wrong-way driver either entered using the Adams Street or Duval Street off-ramps downtown.






Author: Shelby Danielsen

Updated: 5:44 AM EDT August 3, 2018

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — 


Two wrong-way crashes took two lives in Jacksonville in just 24 hours. The first happened overnight Thursday in Mayport. The second collision happened just before 6 p.m. Thursday evening on the Hart Bridge.

The Florida Highway Patrol identified the victim who died from the Hart Bridge crash as 74-year-old Joan Kinsler. Four others were taken to the hospital with injuries.


FHP releases names in wrong-way crash on Hart Bridge. Sadly, 74-year-old Joan Kinsler was killed. 4 others were taken to the hospital with injuries. https://t.co/c3CJj9BN5n @FCN2go— Shelby Danielsen (@NewsShelby) August 3, 2018

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Chief Robin Gainey was one of the first on the scene of the Hart Bridge crash. He says the wrong-way driver either entered using the Adams Street or Duval Street off-ramps downtown.

While FHP investigates, Chief Gainey says they watch people go the wrong way on Jacksonville roads on a daily basis, but he knew this latest crash was more severe than most.

“We had ladder trucks there to cut people out and plenty of personnel to take care of patients in the first few critical minutes,” said Gainey.

Gainey is part of JFRD’s special operations team, so he responds to some of the city’s biggest and deadliest calls for help.

“You can’t fix it, but you have to take and treat the individual with all the dignity that you can, it’s difficult,” he said.

Gainey said the wrong-way driver was in the black car on scene. It crashed into a white vehicle that was left teetering in the middle of the Hart Bridge. Four adults were inside. He believes the front passenger of that vehicle was killed immediately.

“We saw that it was an elderly lady, some of the guys are like 'This is someone’s grandma,' so it’s very disheartening to us,” Gainey said.

Hours earlier in Jacksonville, a wrong-way driver was killed in a fiery crash on the Wonderwood Bridge in Mayport.

FHP is still investigating that crash as well, but Gainey says he sees two factors most of the time in wrong-way collisions: Distracted driving causing people to miss the signs or "out-of-towners" who get turned around.

“We operate at a downtown fire station, we have one-way streets all over, we are surrounded by one-way streets, we have to tell people every day they are going the wrong way,” he said.

Gainey says the wrong-way driver on the Hart Bridge was incoherent when he approached. He was treated for severe injuries. The three other victims were also rushed to the hospital.

He says everyone was wearing a seatbelt and the airbags did deploy. From what witnesses told him, the impact was at a high rate of speed.

“You cannot change that which has occurred before we arrive, all we can do is affect change after we arrive and we want to make certain those who live to get the best treatment possible,” Gainey said.

Gainey says about a decade ago the city had installed flashing lights for drivers at on-ramps to alert them if they were going the wrong way with a sensor, but he says most, if not all, of those sensors, have been taken down over the last few years.

FHP has yet to identify the victims in these crashes.


============================

1 dead, 4 hurt in wrong-way crash on Hart Bridge ramp

4 vehicles involved; traffic headed downtown detoured for hours

By Erik Avanier - Reporter, Steve Patrick - News4Jax digital managing editor


A woman was killed and four other motorists were injured Thursday afternoon in a head-on crash of two SUVs on the downtown connector ramp from the Hart Bridge, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers said a Nissan Rogue was headed south, from downtown toward the bridge, at 3:40 p.m. when it struck a northbound Chevrolet Equinox. Joan Kinsler, 74, a passenger in the Equinox, died at the scene and that SUV's driver and two other passengers -- all from the Tampa area -- were taken to UF Health Jacksonville.

The driver of the Rogue, Henok Mekonnen (pictured, above), of Jacksonville, was hospitalized at Memorial Medical Center with serious injuries.

Troopers said the Rogue also struck another vehicle, and debris from the impact damaged a fourth vehicle. No one in those vehicles was injured.

According to the FHP report, charges against 52-year-old Mekonnen are pending.

Wendell Russ said the impact of the crash was enough to shake the warehouse where he works nearby.

"We heard a big thump," Russ said. "We walked out (of the) the warehouse and saw a truck all up on the edge."

Traffic between bridge and downtown was at a standstill through early evening as dozens of emergency vehicles responded to the crash and the scene was investigated and cleared.




The crash occurred on August 2, which data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows on average is the one day of the year with the highest number of deadly crashes in the United States.

The collision happened hours after a man died and two girls were injured in a wrong-way crash on the Wonderwood Connector between Mayport and East Arlington.

According to the FHP, there were 89 calls about wrong-way drivers in Duval County between July 2017 and July 2018.

Two killed after an advertising banner American Champion 8GCBC Scout plane crashed in a field near Craft Farms Road west of County Road 65 in Foley, Alabama



An aircraft has crashed in Foley, according to the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office (BSCO).

According to BCSO Sheriff Huey Mack, a 911 operator received a report of a possible plane crash in the Bon Secour area at approximately 10:15 a.m. on Saturday.

The Foley Fire Department and Foley Police Department arrived on scene and found a single-engine aircraft in a sod field near Craft Farms Road west of County Road 65.

First responders found two people inside of the aircraft. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Sheriff Mack, a witness saw the crash and said it appears the plane was trying to pick up an advertisement banner and "got into distress and crashed almost immediately."

The crash is being investigated by the sheriff's office, Baldwin County Coroner's Office, Federal Aviation Administration, and National Transportation Safety Board.

The names of the victims is being withheld pending next of kin notification.


Narrative:
 
The single engine aircraft crashed in a field near Craft Farms Road west of County Road 65. It had reportedly picked up an advertising banner when there was apparently a technical failure and the pilot sent out a distress signal. The aircraft dropped the banner but crashed. Both occupants died at the scene.

Sources:

https://weartv.com/news/local/2-killed-in-plane-crash-near-foley
http://www.fox10tv.com/story/38812189/plane-crash-in-foley
https://www.wkrg.com/news/baldwin-county/breaking-plane-crashes-in-foley/1346300145
Date:04-AUG-2018
Time:~10:15 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic BL8 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
American Champion 8GCBC Scout
Owner/operator:
Registration:
C/n / msn:
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Foley, AL -   United States of America
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Demo/Airshow/Display
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Five people (3 adults and 2 children) were killed when a small private Extra EA-400 passenger plane crashed and burned Saturday morning shortly after taking off in northern Oklahoma.







Oklahoma plane crash victims were from Kansas, authorities say

  By Paulina Dedaj | Fox News
 
Small passenger plane crashed into a soybean field in Oklahoma.

Officials say five people were killed when a small passenger plane crashed and burned Saturday morning shortly after taking off in northern Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed the deaths after an Extra EA-400 plane went down just 90 miles north of Oklahoma City.

The victims, still unidentified, were three adults and two children, from Independence, Kan., the Kay County Sheriff's Office told Oklahoma City's FOX 25.


Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford said the "single-engine” plane crashed “shortly after taking off from Ponca City Regional Airport.”

"The aircraft was destroyed by a post-crash fire,” she added.

Highway Patrol Lt. Kera Philippi said it appeared that the victims had attended a breakfast at the airport.

Airport manager Don Nuzum told the Associated Press that the Ponca City Aviation Booster Club hosts a fly-in breakfast on the first Saturday of each month, but he could not comment about the crash.

Initial reports feared as many six people dead because the plane is designed as a six-seat corporate aircraft. Philippi said that officials struggled to identify how many victims there were at first because of the heat from the fire.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board continue their investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.





Narrative:
The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from Ponca City Regional Airport. There was a post impact-fire. The 5 occupants died (3 adults and 2 children).

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/08/04/us/ap-us-small-plane-crash-oklahoma.html?partner=IFTTT
http://www.news9.com/story/38812284/fiery-plan-crash-in-ponca-city-confirmed-fatalities?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
https://www.koco.com/article/small-passenger-plane-crashes-in-kay-county-sheriff-says/22643744
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/04/the-associated-press-authorities-no-survivors-of-small-plane-crash-in-oklahoma.html
www.detroitnews.com
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/04/oklahoma-plane-crash-victims-were-from-kansas-authorities-say.html
________________
https://www.google.com/maps/place/S+U+St+%26+Hubbard+Rd,+Ponca+City,+OK+74601/@36.7533474,-97.1570385,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x87b0609624417b03:0xcc8c59bf818c85d9?hl=en-us&gl=us
Date: 04-AUG-2018
Time: -10:45LT
Type: Extra EA-400
Owner/operator: Private
Registration:

C/n / msn:

Fatalities: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: near Ponca City, N of Oklahoma City, OK - United States of America
Phase: Initial climb
Nature: Private
Departure airport: Ponca City Rgn’l (KPNC)
Destination airport:

5 killed when a twin-engine Cessna 414 small plane operated by Category III Aviation Corp. crashes in Santa Ana parking lot near South Coast Plaza





5 killed when small plane crashes in Santa Ana parking lot near South Coast Plaza


SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- 


Five people were killed when a small plane crashed Sunday afternoon in a Santa Ana parking lot near South Coast Plaza.

The incident occurred at 12:28 p.m. in the 3800 block of Bristol Street, a spokesperson for the Santa Ana Police Department said, adding that no one on the ground was injured.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the twin-engine Cessna 414 aircraft declared an emergency before slamming into the parking lot.

The plane struck at least one unoccupied vehicle, whose owner was elsewhere shopping at the time.

The crash site is just north of the popular South Coast Plaza shopping mall and a few blocks northwest of John Wayne Airport, which was the pilot's destination.

Capt. Tony Bommarito, a spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority, said responding firefighters did not encounter any flames in the wreckage.

Crews were working to clean up spilled fuel at the location. Meanwhile, Bristol was closed between Sunflower Avenue and Callen's Common.

The cause of the incident will be investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

==========================
Narrative:
The plane crashed under unknown circumstances 3900 block of Bristol Street in Santa Ana. At least 3 occupants died according to officials.
Sources:

http://www.usacurrentnews.com/3-dead-in-plane-crash-in-santa-ana-ocfa/
http://abc7.com/5-killed-when-small-plane-crashes-in-santa-ana-parking-lot/3888883/
https://fox5sandiego.com/2018/08/05/plane-crashes-down-on-orange-county-parking-lot/
_______________
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n727rp#1d65145a
https://fr.flightaware.com/live/flight/N727RP/history/20180805/1723Z/KCCR/KSNA
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=727RP
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001390368.html
Date:05-AUG-2018
Time:12:28 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic C414 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Cessna 414
Owner/operator:Category III Aviation Corp
Registration: N727RP
C/n / msn: 414-0385
Fatalities:Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Bristol Street near John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, CA -   United States of America
Phase: Approach
Nature:
Departure airport:Concord-Buchanan Field, CA (CCR/KCCR)
Destination airport:Santa Ana-Orange County Airport, CA (SNA/KSNA)

FLYING JUNK? All 17 passengers and three crew members were killed after a Junkers Ju-52/3m aircraft, operated by Ju-Air, was destroyed in an accident in a mountainous area in Switzerland.


Narrative:
A Junkers Ju-52/3m aircraft, operated by Ju-Air, was destroyed in an accident in a mountainous area in Switzerland. The aircraft crashed into the western slope of Piz Segnas at an elevation of 2540 m. All 17 passengers and three crew members were killed.
The aircraft had departed Locarno, Switzerland, at 16:10 on a flight to it's home base at Dübendorf.


The STSB stated that the aircraft impacted the ground nearly vertically and at high speed. No evidence was found of a collision with a cable or other aircraft. Also, no evidence was found of an in-flight break-up.

 


Sources:
» 20min.ch
Status:Preliminary
Date:Saturday 4 August 2018
Time:ca 16:55
Type:Silhouette image of generic JU52 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Junkers Ju-52/3mg4e
Operator:Ju-Air
Registration: HB-HOT
C/n / msn: 6595
First flight: 1939
Engines: 3 BMW 132A3
Crew:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 17
Total:Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 20
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Piz Segnas (   Switzerland)
Crash site elevation: 2540 m (8333 feet) amsl
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Locarno Air Base (LSMO), Switzerland
Destination airport:Dübendorf Air Base (LSMD), Switzerland

64-year-old Lindsey Frank Jokiel of Lyndon Station and 60-year-old Timothy McCauley of Eugene, Oregon died when a tanker truck driver with Scully Oil Company hit traffic that had slowed down ahead of him on westbound I-90 in Wisconsin

Lindsey Frank Jokiel, age 64 of Lyndon Station, Wisconsin died Wednesday, August 1, 2018 as the result of a traffic accident.





Courtesy: Lori Swank Plenge

 Victims identified in deadly, fiery crash in Juneau County

By Evan Bolin
 August 03, 2018


JUNEAU COUNTY (WKOW) -- The Wisconsin State Patrol has identified the two people who died Wednesday in a crash along the Interstate in Juneau County.

Troopers say the victims are 64-year-old Lindsey Jokiel of Lyndon Station and 60-year-old Timothy McCauley of Eugene, Oregon.

Three semis, two SUVs and a motorcycle were involved in the crash. The State Patrol says Jokiel was driving one of the semis. McCauley was on the motorcycle.

Troopers say the crash happened when a tanker truck hit traffic that had slowed down ahead of him. It happened on westbound I-90 between New Lisbon and Mauston. The crash is still under investigation.


========================

Lindsey Frank Jokiel, age 64 of Lyndon Station, Wisconsin died Wednesday, August 1, 2018 as the result of a traffic accident.

Lindsey Frank Jokiel, age 64 of Lyndon Station, Wisconsin died Wednesday, August 1, 2018 as the result of a traffic accident.

Memorial funeral services will be held Sunday, August 5, 2018 at 1:00 P.M. at the Conway-Picha Funeral Home in Lyndon Station with Reverend Steven Keller officiating. Visitation will be held at Conway Picha Funeral Home on Sunday from 11 a.m. until the time of service at 1:00 p.m.

Lindsey was born November 24, 1953 in Baraboo, Wisconsin the son of Leslie and Irene (Slama) Jokiel. Lindsey was raised on the family farm where he was busy with agriculture all of his life. Following graduation from Mauston High School he worked in construction for a short time and eventually made a career out of truck driving. He had been employed by Schneider Trucking, Dart, Grande Cheese, Roehl and lastly with Scully Oil. Proudly and with much esteem, he was a proud recipient of 3 million mile accident free driving awards. Lindsey also enjoyed hunting and trapping, mowing lawn and driving tractor.

Lindsey is survived by his children, Jeremy (Erica) of Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, and Matthew Jokiel and Michelle (Ray) Senzig both of Lyndon Station; a brother, Leslie Jokiel of Lyndon Station; a sister, Laurel Hoilien of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; 11 grandchildren; and close special friends, Michael and Deb Crawford and Dennis and Linda Langer. He was preceded in death by his parents; grandmother, Susan Slama; sister, Linda Jokiel and grandson, Jacob Lindsey Senzig.







=========================




UPDATE (WKOW) -- Scully Transportation Company said in that statement their company was involved in the fatal accident on I-90 WB near Juneau County.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones and those who were injured," said Jeff Scully, Owner of Scully Transportation. "We are currently cooperating with the Wisconsin State Patrol as they lead the investigation, when we learn more details surrounding this terrible accident we will release them."

A woman who was on I-90 at the time of the crash said traffic was backed up for miles and she didn't know what happened.

"All of a sudden I saw a truck with its flashers on and then I noticed traffic slowing down," said Cheryl Parduhn from Reedsburg. "I was kind of scared and made me think thank God I'm still here."

The names of the two men who passed away will be released by the Juneau County medical examiner Friday morning.

**********

UPDATE (WKOW) -- Wisconsin State Patrol officials have released some information about the drivers involved in a fiery crash in Juneau County that killed two people and shut down a portion of a major highway for several hours.

WisDOT says a 64-year-old man from Lyndon Station and a 60-year-old man were killed in the crash. They say the 60-year-old man was riding a Harley Davidson motorcycle and the 64-year-old man was driving a semi truck.

The names of the two drivers who were killed in the crash are being withheld pending family notification.

Officials say four other drivers were involved in the crash but were not hurt.

**********

UPDATE (WKOW) -- Lanes are now opened on I-90 between New Lisbon and Mauston after a deadly crash Wednesday afternoon.

Two people died when three semi trucks, two SUVs and a motorcycle were involved in the crash. It happened about 1:30 Wednesday afternoon when a semi driver hit slowed-down traffic ahead of him.

A tanker truck was ruptured but didn't catch on fire. It dumped about 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel on the road. LA Crosse HAZMAT and the state DNR cleaned it up.

The westbound lanes were shutdown for more than 12 hours as authorities investigated and cleared the scene. They reopened at about 1:45 a.m.

************

UPDATE (WKOW) -- Cell phone video shows flames and smoke pouring from a semi after a crash that involved multiple vehicles in Juneau County.

The Wisconsin State Patrol says two people died. Authorities were still at the scene investigating the pileup at 10 p.m. Wednesday in the westbound lanes of I-90 between New Lisbon and Mauston.

Two people died when three semi trucks, two SUVs and a motorcycle were involved in the crash. It happened about 1:30 Wednesday afternoon when a semi hit slowed-down traffic ahead of him.

Shaylin Townsend was driving by at the time and captured the video, where you hear a loud bang of an explosion. She says she's never seen anything like this before.

"I seen smoke almost immediately after I got on the interstate, so it was a little rough. I knew something was going on and I kinda hoped it was a minor car crash and everybody had gotten out. When I got closer, the smoke got huge, black," she said.

The tanker truck was ruptured but didn't catch on fire. It dumped about 7,000 gallons of diesel fuel on the road. LA Crosse HAZMAT and the state DNR are cleaning that up.

The crash is under investigation. All westbound lanes are closed from Highway 82 to Highway 58 but the eastbound lanes are back open.

********

UPDATE (WKOW) -- The Wisconsin State Patrol says two people died in a crash between New Lisbon and Mauston Wednesday afternoon.

The crash on I-90 happened around 1:30 p.m. in the westbound lanes. There were multiple vehicles involved, including three semi-trucks, two SUVs and a motorcycle.

Wisconsin State Patrol says a tanker truck hit traffic that was slowed down ahead of it. One of the trucks started on fire. Wisconsin State Patrol says there are at least two known fatalities.

The crash is still under investigation.

********

JUNEAU COUNTY (WKOW) -- Both lanes of westbound I90 near Mauston are closed following a crash, according to the Wisconsin DOT.

An alert says the highway is closed from exit to Wisconsin Highway 82 eastbound to the exit to Wisconsin Highway 80 northbound.

The crash involved at least one semi, according to witnesses passing the scene.

The backup extends more than five miles, and delays are over 45 minutes, according to the Wisconsin DOT.There is a full roadway closure in one direction in a notice updated at 1:42 p.m. There are delays of at least five miles right now in the eastbound lanes of I-90/94..

Miguel Guerrero, 42, of Hialeah, Florida filled a 207 gallon unapproved fuel tank nearly as large as the entire bed of his F-350 pick-up truck with diesel paid for with fraudulent credit cards at the Tom Thumb gas station


Miguel Guerrero, 42, of Hialeah, Florida filled an unapproved fuel tank nearly as large as the entire bed of his pick-up truck with diesel paid for with fraudulent credit cards, police said.


Driver pumps 207 gallons of diesel and pays with fake card, cops say


Miguel Guerrero, 42, of Hialeah, Florida filled an unapproved fuel tank nearly as large as the entire bed of his pick-up truck with diesel paid for with fraudulent credit cards, police said. 


Tonya Alanez Sun Sentinel



It takes a long time to pump 207 gallons of fuel.

And that’s what caught a Davie police officer’s attention Wednesday morning — the man in a green pick-up truck sure was taking a long time to fuel up at the pumps.

The man was at pump #11 at the Tom Thumb gas station at 4600 Dykes Road.

Officer Andres Rodriguez knew there’d been a rash of people getting their credit cards cloned at the station. He also knew pump #11 was one of two pumps where the fraudulent cards usually were used, according to a police report.

 
 
The pickup held a large, "fuel bladder," police said (Davie Police Department)

When Rodriguez, who was parked nearby watching the suspicious activity with binoculars, went inside the station he found that the man had made six $100 purchases of diesel, about 34.5 gallons each for a total of 207 gallons — much more than the tank of a Ford F-350 could hold, the report said.

The clerk showed Rodriguez she had already sensed something fishy about the $100 purchases being made by the person driving the green Ford with tag number IVBQ24. She had stapled together five receipts showing similar transaction made on Feb. 1.


When the officer approached Miguel Guerrero he told him he could search the truck. Underneath a tarp in the back, as suspected, Rodriguez found a “fuel bladder,” or a large unapproved fuel tank, “almost as large as the entire bed of the truck,” an arrest report said.

In Guerrero’s wallet, Rodriguez found two counterfeit credit cards, the report said.

Surveillance video from the station showed that Guerrero had committed the same crime on Feb. 3.

Guerrero, 42, of Hialeah, was arrested for the fraudulent use of credit cards and the illegal transportation of fuel.

Arkema North America, its CEO Richard Rowe and plant manager Leslie Comardelle were charged in Harris County, Texas indictment with “recklessly” releasing chemicals into the air.

Arkema North America, its CEO Richard Rowe

Arkema North America, its CEO Richard Rowe


Arkema plant manager Leslie Comardelle


Texas Chemical Plant, CEO Indicted For Explosions During Hurricane Harvey
August 3, 2018 at 2:46 pm

HOUSTON, TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — 


The North American subsidiary of a French chemical manufacturer and two senior staff members have been indicted in connection with last year’s explosion at the Crosby, Texas, plant in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Arkema North America, its CEO Richard Rowe and plant manager Leslie Comardelle were charged in Friday’s Harris County indictment with “recklessly” releasing chemicals into the air. The charge carries up to $1 million in fines and five years’ imprisonment.

After Arkema’s plant lost power, its organic peroxides began heating and decomposing. The compounds, used in products including plastics to paints, caught fire and partially exploded, sending plumes of smoke skyward.

First responders and neighbors said they were sickened after the incident.

Arkema spokeswoman Janet Smith on Friday said the corporation would fight the indictment.

Officials with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board said the chemical plant didn’t account for high flood waters and lacked a plan for the Harvey floods despite years of severe weather in the Houston area and a 2016 warning from its insurance company